Barack Obama's big day tomorrow!

Its Obama's big day tomorrow, not just his, not just for Americans, its a big day for all the world! And not because he is the first African American President, lets all put that behind us, but its a new beginning, time for a new person at the job, to make things better, at least try and make things work better. There are too many problems, wars and disease, poverty and deprivation, unchecked environmental damages, radical terrorism, injustices and disregard for others sovereign rights, social problems, recessions and slowdowns etc.

For the past hundred years now, what happens in the United States has some bearing, some effect, on the rest of the world, and the American President is the man in charge, at least seen to be in charge, to a watching world. (seen to be in charge ? yes and no, there is behind, or around, each President, that supportive group of politicians and bureaucrats, other powerful men, military chiefs, economists and intellectuals, fund raisers and campaigners, who advise him, influence him, place facts-and 'non-facts'- before him, caution and forewarn....."Mr President do this this way.")

America began to matter to the whole world when its economic growth, its military power, cultural influences, its centers of learning, its scientific breakthroughs, and more, became known, in one way or another, accross the world.

America has been called a melting pot; more correctly, to millions of people accross the world, America became the hope for a better life, especially to people who had a bad deal in their countries, or people who felt their talents would be put to better use in a better environment.

Thanks to an oppressive Nazi Germany, for example, that the best scientists from there migrated to America; thanks to an oppressive ghetto confinement, in Europe, on Jews and other peoples, that the very talented from them chose to go to America........................ironically, it were religious differences that brought minorities from across the world, starting with the Pilgrim Fathers..............more ironically, it was the need/or excuse for cheap labour that brought millions of Africans (mostly against their wishes) to the new continent; their descendants have enriched America and the world with their music, their talent, their humour and bonhomie.

Unfortunately, prejudices of all kinds also came across from the Old World, but those Americans who have used these to their advantage, have had to contend with outstanding individuals who opposed them, the founding fathers of America (who defied the most powerful empire on Earth at that time,) and framers of the Constitution, (this is the single most valuable landmark promise the Americans made to themselves,) brave Presidents with a great vision like Abraham Lincoln, and men determined to give justice to people, like Martin Luther King, and people who joined him.

America has been a bastion of freedom, with its brave troops that brought the defeat of Nazism, and with big men like Ronald Reagan who brought down the Russian Communist Empire, and the determined front now put up against radical terrorism.

But America has also a flawed foreign policy that has sent thousands of their brave young men to their deaths, that has alienated many peoples across the world by their short-sighted policies in certain regions of the world. America has its fair share of small men, who for short term advantages, for oil or for petro-dollars, or for some one-sided old ideals, has supported some some of the wrong people.

With the same short-sightedness, American leaders of Industry, for a quick buck, have "transferred" their businesses to other lands, lent money with prudence thrown out the window, ponzi deals with others' money..................ordinary (and not so ordinary) people have lost all theirs all by overspending, greed, little knowledge of the markets, and lack of ordinary common sense caution.

Barack Obama inherits all that tomorrow; its the only day he can afford to enjoy, literary, with those historical landmark speeches, parades, concerts and balls; the business of state and the many many headaches begin immediately. Americans and people from every part of the world will participate in all that happens tomorrow; then watch, most with hope, some with good wishes, others with some caution, still others with some degree of prejudice, even some with hate, what President Obama achieves.

He sure can envy the proverbial man with no shirt on his back!

Its not fair on him, to expect miracles, to expect-quick-immediate-or good results for most things...........he has begun to caution people. So much will depend on the complex set of circumstances, the complex set of economic and political parameters, how things work out, not just in America, but in countries across the world.

Good luck Mr Obama, God bless you, and the world, and all of us!